Correlation between d Electrons and the Sweet Spot for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: Is Platinum Always the Best Electrocatalyst?

Herein, two Laves intermetallic series, ZrCo and NbCo ( = Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt), were synthesized, and their hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities were examined to reveal the influence of d electrons to the corresponding HER activities. Owing to the different electronegativity between Zr and Nb (χ = 1.33; χ = 1.

Direct Electrosynthesis of Metal Nanoparticles on TiCT-Mxene during Hydrogen Evolution.

Herein, we propose a simple yet effective method to deposit metal nanoparticles on TiCT-MXene via direct electrosynthesis. Without using any reducing reagent or annealing under reducing atmosphere, it allows the conversion of metal salts (e.g.

A step-by-step strategy to design active and stable quaternary intermetallic compounds for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Multinary intermetallic compounds with rich chemical compositions enable one to achieve a logical design for desired materials based on the required function. In this work, we have demonstrated a step-by-step strategy to design a quaternary intermetallic compound that exhibits highly active and stable performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). With binary intermetallic TaCo as the starting point, the minor inclusion of a ductile Cu element in TaCo to form ternary TaCuCo can substantially lower the degradation rate from 20% to 5% after sintering treatment (, enhance connectivity between particles).

Balance between Activity and Stability of Single Metal and Intermetallic Compounds for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The higher population of the antibonding state around the Fermi level will result in better activity yet lower stability of HER (Re vs Ru metal). There seems to be a limitation or balance for using a single metal since the bonding scheme of a single metal is relatively simple. Combining Re (strong bonding), Ru (HER active), and Zr metal (corrosion-resistant) grants ternary intermetallic compound ZrReRu, exhibiting excellent HER activity and stability in acidic and alkaline electrolytes.